Supermarket Perimeter - April 2021 - 68

SPOTLIGHT

SALADS

by Emily Park

Third-party kitchens
vital in continuing
category growth
With demand for grab & go
exploding at levels never seen
before, now is the time for
retailers to lean on commissaries
and third-party kitchens that can
have freshly-made salads ready to
go without much work left to do
instore expect put the product on
the shelf for shoppers to grab for a
quick salad solution.
The key to continued sales
growth in the category is keeping
the shelves stocked with restaurant-quality options, Shoshan
noted. Consumers want choices
and expanded variety. Flavorful
meals are a way to explore and
experience joy together when
other activities are still limited.
" We help our retail partners
avoid 'menu fatigue' with
Limited Time Offers (LTOs), with

DOLE ADDS TO FRESHTAKES
SAL AD BOWL LINE
Charlotte, NC-based Dole Fresh Vegetables most recent
addition to the company's prepared salad offerings included three
new salads to its FreshTakes Salad Bowl line with new packaging
that allows salad lovers to mix their Dole fresh lettuces, toppings
and dressings in the same bowl without spilling.
The three new DOLE® FreshTakes™ Bowl Salads were released
last October with a suggested retail price (SRP) of $3.99.
This brings the total offerings of the salad line to nine different
varieties. The packaging for the new bowls features an ecofriendly, clear-construction design that showcases the fresh
greens and premium ingredients and is paired with a full-size fork.

68 - APRIL 2021

in-and-out menu rotations that
are much easier to manage while
being executed correctly with
central production providing
food safety, quality, consistency
and labor savings, " Shoshan said.
Freshly packed salads from
manufacturers like Five Star also

have the benefit of packaging on
their side. FiveStar for example,
designs and patents all packaging
used for the company's Simply
Fresh salads - a unique, square
bowl with a diagonal condiment
insert. The design allows for
toppings to be featured front and

The new flavors include:
* DOLE FreshTakes Chicken Club BLT Salad Bowl: DOLE
Iceberg and Green Leaf lettuces topped with roasted white-meat
chicken, uncured bacon pieces, grape tomatoes, whole-grain
cheese garlic croutons and Dole's Buttermilk Ranch Dressing.
* DOLE FreshTakes Backyard BBQ Salad with Chicken Salad
Bowl: DOLE Iceberg and Green Leaf lettuces and Red
Cabbage topped with grilled, white-meat chicken, fire-roasted
corn, mild cheddar cheese, crispy onions, carrots and Dole's
BBQ Ranch Dressing.
* DOLE FreshTakes Avocado Ranch Salad with Chicken
Salad Bowl: DOLE Iceberg and Green Leaf lettuces and Red
Cabbage topped with grilled, white-meat chicken, black beans,
Monterey Jack and Colby Cheese blend, tortilla strips, carrots
and Dole's Avocado Ranch Dressing.

supermarketperimeter.com

FIVESTAR GOURMET, DOLE, FRESH EXPRESS

OVER THE LAST YEAR, retailers
have had to look for ways to
repurpose their salad bars. With
deli operations limited, healthy,
prepackaged salads produced at
third-party facilities have helped
grow the category over the past
year, said Tal Shoshan, chief
executive officer of Ontario, Calif.based FiveStar Gourmet Foods-
the maker of the fresh prepacked
salad brand, Simply Fresh.
" FiveStar Gourmet has seen
demand for our products
grow substantially year-overyear because our selections
are packaged in a format that
is convenient, portable, and
protects the integrity of the
fresh ingredients, " said Shoshan.
" Beyond this, our quality stands
out. Consumers discover that
our products taste incredibly
fresh, delicious and above
expectations. "

https://www.fivestargourmetfoods.com/ http://www.supermarketperimeter.com

Supermarket Perimeter - April 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Supermarket Perimeter - April 2021